The invention relates to optical fiber connectors and systems including optical fiber connectors.
Optical fiber connectors form a remateable connection between two fibers, generally by physically aligning the cores of the fibers with one another. Alternatively, optical fiber connectors can be used to connect a optical fiber to a light source (e.g., a laser) or a receiver. Many commercially available connectors include four basic components: a ferrule; a body; a cable; and a coupling device.
A ferrule is a long, thin cylinder in which the fiber is mounted. The ferrule is bored through the center at a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the fiber cladding. The end of the fiber is located at the end of the ferrule. Ferrules are typically made of metal or ceramic, but may also be made from plastic. A ferrule may also be referred to as a snout.
A body or housing holds the ferrule. It is usually constructed of metal or plastic and includes one or more assembled pieces which hold the fiber in place. Bonding and/or crimping is often used to attach strength members and/or cable jackets to the connector body. The ferrule extends past the connector body to slip into the coupling device.
A cable is attached to the connector body. It acts as a point of entry for the fiber. Typically a strain-relief boot is added over the junction between the cable and the connector body, providing extra strength to the junction.
Optical fiber connectors typically use a male-female or a dual female coupling device configurations.
Examples of commercially available optical fiber connectors include SMA 906 connectors (Amphenol Corp.), ST connectors (introduced by AT&T), FC connectors (introduced by NTT), D4 connectors (designed by NEC), HMS-10 (by Diamond, Inc.), and SC connectors (from NTT).
A primary measure of connector performance is insertion loss, usually as tested against an “ideal” reference connector. Typically, when properly connected, insertion loss is between about 0.1 dB and 1 dB.